Morris County lacrosse teams fired up by pregame playlists, goal songs
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Libby Boyko really wants a goal song. She's even picked it out: "Love Shack" by the B-52's, all 1980's perky pop.
But when Boyko went to Randolph girls lacrosse coach Jillian Picciuto to try to get added to the team's list, the senior defender was gently rebuffed. After all, scoring goals isn't her job.
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"Realistically, I'm never going to score," Boyko said. "I don't really go to goal. ... But I do want to score this year. I want to at least try."
Boyko is captivated by the possibility. Randolph is one of a handful of Morris County girls lacrosse teams that let players have their own goal songs, something distinctive that booms over the home stadium speakers.
For Annabella Sharkey, who wears No. 21, it's an extremely censored version of "Rich Flex" by Drake and 21 Savage, because the chorus includes, "21, can you do somethin' for me?" That's the same one used by Temple University sophomore attack Cathleen Moran, who wore No. 21 for Morristown.
But, playing off Sharkey's last name, Boyko thinks it should be the theme from "Jaws."
Many of the Rams' lacrosse players – both male and female – have made personal selections. That's an extension of the pregame playlist most teams use, either while warming up at home or on the bus ride to an away game.
The Randolph girls have one of those too, mostly curated by junior midfielder Riley Minerley – and played on Boyko's speaker off the cellphone of whoever pays for Spotify Premium to avoid ads.
Years ago, West Morris turned to teachers' assistant Melvin Travis to add DJ to his multi-hyphenated list.
The pastor at River of Life Church in Long Valley for 25 years, Travis has also been working at West Morris since 2017. As the site manager, he sets up and breaks down events, and serves as announcer and scoreboard operator.
Travis said it started four years ago with Wolfpack field hockey. He'd play "Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys when West Morris scored.
Travis' duties have expanded to other teams.
The Wolfpack wrestlers have individual intro music. For lacrosse, the West Morris boys have a pre-game playlist, and then Travis cues up the national anthem – which is usually sung live by a student.
During pauses in play, he'll pick snippets from every genre from the 1950s to now: M.C. Hammer, Heavy D, "Are You Gonna Go My Way" By Lenny Kravitz, Michael Jackson, TLC, "I Just Want to Celebrate" by Rare Earth, Queen. Though Travis' taste leans more old school, he'll "play the younger stuff because that's what the kids want."
"For me, it's serving the community," said Travis, who has driven school buses, coached middle school wrestling and directed traffic during his career in the West Morris Regional District.
"The music fires them up. It's like taking water from them if you say you're not playing any music. They're accustomed to it. All the kids, when they come in, they expect it."
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Morris County lacrosse teams fired up by pregame playlists, goal songs